ACCREDITATION
BIC Product Data Excellence Awards Scheme
This scheme has replaced the previous BIC Basic and BIC ONIX accreditation schemes and rewards publishers able to demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that accurate and timely product information is made available in the supply chain.
Scheme structures
The scheme is open to publishing companies or divisions of publishing groups where a stand-alone system of product data provision is in place, and will be judged on the combined performance standards of publishers and their distributors.
Certification will be granted at the discretion of the BIC product data review group on the basis of information provided on the application questionnaire, parts of which will be reviewed by Nielsen BookData to confirm that observed performance is consistent with the information provided. The group meets on a quarterly basis to consider applications, reaccreditations and to review accredited publishers’ performance.
The decision of the BIC review group will be final and not subject to appeal. Publishers whose applications have been rejected are, however, entitled to reapply when six months have passed from the initial decision of the audit group.
Certification will be granted for a period of one year, and renewal will be automatically reviewed by the review group. Where it is not possible to grant automatic renewal accreditations may at the discretion of the review group be extended for a maximum of six months (i.e. two quarters). After that period, publishers so disqualified will be invited to reapply after a further six months.
Performance requirements
Bronze
The Bronze Award will be granted to publishers able to supply electronically by any agreed means the mandatory elements required by the BIC Basic standard within the following timeliness criteria: 60% of new titles fully compliant 16 weeks ahead of publication; and 80% of current backlist meeting BIC Basic completeness standard.
Silver
The Silver Award will be granted to publishers using ONIX in versions 2.0 and above to supply the enhanced ONIX element set within the following timeliness criteria: 60% of new titles fully compliant 16 weeks ahead of publication; and 80% of current backlist meeting ONIX completeness standard.
Gold
The Gold Award will be granted to publishers using ONIX in versions 2.0 and above to supply the enhanced ONIX element set within the following timeliness criteria: 80% of new titles fully compliant 16 weeks ahead of publication; and 95% of current backlist meeting ONIX completeness standard.General
Publishers will only be considered for certification who operate electronic systems to maintain product data and supply data electronically. Accreditation will be based on all qualifying titles published by the applicant and (in the case of multi-national publishers) all titles made available to the UK market originating from overseas divisions of the same company.Subject to there being changes to report, pre-publication information must be supplied no less frequently than weekly and post-publication information no less frequently than daily.
ONIX compliance bibliographic elements
Publishers' application form and questionnaire
